In the area of private air travel, prior to departure travelers are required to create and file a flight plan with the local Civil Aviation Authority (e.g., the Federal Aviation Administration in the USA). A flight plan typically includes basic information such as departure and arrival points, estimated time en route, alternate airports in case of bad weather, type of flight (whether instrument flight rules or visual flight rules), pilot's name and the number of people on board, etc. For longer flights, the traveler must also be generally familiar with the limits of the aircraft being used, for example aircraft manufacturer specifications regarding preferred flight speeds, maximum cargo capacity, and the maximum fuel range of the aircraft. Unless the traveler is largely familiar with the limits of the aircraft, a significant amount of research and investigation may be required to obtain the needed information so as to ensure a safe trip that does not include unanticipated stops. This research may encompass discussions with individuals having a seasoned amount of knowledge about the particular aircraft, flight dispatchers, and even aircraft manufacturers.
In the event an air travel trip requires a stop to re-fuel the aircraft en route to the destination, the traveler would then be compelled to research potential fuel stops along the desired flight path for a suitable airport. Variables such as runway length, fuel availability, fuel pricing, distance from the intended flight path, etc., all play a vital role in determining the most efficient time and place a traveler should stop. Especially in foreign countries, researching these fuel pricing variables can be quite tedious and generally time consuming. In some cases, fuel pricing can be a major factor in determining where to stop. For example, depending on the country or region, fuel pricing at one airport may be significantly more expensive than a geographically-adjacent airport. As can be appreciated by those familiar with private air travel, electing to make a fuel stop at a location where fuel is less expensive can potentially save a considerable amount of money, thus reducing the overall cost of the air travel trip.
What is needed, therefore, is a system that allows a user to bypass the time-consuming researching and investigative aspects required in fuel stop flight planning and instead provide that information to the user instantaneously.